Annotated Syllabus
by Tom Baker
Date: November and December 2010
Sunday, November 28th & December 5th, 2010
Assignment: Chapter 9, VII. The Two Evaluations & VIII. Grandeur versus Grandiosity
Key phrase:VII. "You, then, have two conflicting evaluations of yourself in your mind, and they cannot both be true." (paragraph 4), "If you choose to see yourself as unloving you will not be happy." (paragraph 5), "With the grandeur of God in you, you have chosen to be little and to lament your littleness," (paragraph 6). VIII. "Grandeur is of God, and only of Him. Therefore it is in you." (paragraph one) "Grandiosity is always a cover for despair....The essence of grandiosity is competitiveness, because it always involves attack" (paragraph 2). "The ego depends solely on your willingness to tolerate it." (paragraph 6), "To accept your littleness is arrogant, because it means that you believe your evaluation of yourself is truer than God's." (paragraph 10).
Study Questions: How often do we seriously question our own self evaluation? Why?
Pertinent Lessons: Lesson 24, I do not perceive my own best interests and Lesson 229, Love, which created me, is what I am.
Sunday, December 12th & 19th, 2010
Assignment: Chapter 15, X. The Time of Rebirth
Key phrase: "I am as incapable of receiving sacrifice as God is, and every sacrifice you ask of yourself you ask of me. Learn now that sacrifice of any kind is nothing but a limitation imposed on giving." (paragraph 2). "You believe it is possible to be host to the ego or hostage to God. This is the choice you think you have, and the decision you believe you have made." (paragraph 5). "In you are both the question and the answer; the demand for sacrifice and the peace of God." (paragraph 9).
Study Questions: What sacrifices do you ask of yourself? How are the popular dynamics of Christmas built around sacrifice?
Pertinent Lessons: Lesson 188, The peace of God is shining in me now.
Sunday, December 26th, 2010
Assignment: Chapter 15, XI. Christmas as the End of Sacrifice
Key phrase: "The sign of Christmas is a star, a light in darkness. See it not outside yourself, but shining in the Heaven within, and accept it as the sign the time of Christ has come." (paragraph two). "This Christmas give the Holy Spirit everything that would hurt you. Let yourself be healed completely that you may join with Him in healing, and let us celebrate our release together by releasing everyone with us." (paragraph three). "Let us join in celebrating peace by demanding no sacrifice of anyone, for so you offer me the love I offer you." (paragraph eight).
Study questions: What are the things that hurt you? What does it mean to give those things to the Holy Spirit? What would a relationship free of sacrifice look like?
Pertinent Lessons or Passages: Lesson 155, I will step back and let Him lead the way.
© Copyright Tom Baker 2010